How To Stay Motivated All Year Long

Are you a New Year’s resolution-maker? How great is that post-Christmas motivation? That “yes, I can do this!” feeling. That unbridled enthusiasm to be better, do more, and live harder.

Somewhere around Valentine’s Day though, that fire in our bellies gets extinguished. Maybe it was too hard, too time-consuming, too expensive… whatever the excuse, without the right motivation our good intentions remain just that: intentions.

Whether you’re wondering how to motivate staff or struggling to find the motivation to exercise, we’ve got three easy ways to get motivated – and stay motivated – all year long.

Layer your goals

A lot of people set themselves up for failure with their goals by aiming too high too soon. Your goals need to be achievable. Resolving to exercise every day when you haven’t laced up your trainers since last Easter is only going to end badly.

Take your ultimate end goal (like, I want to lose 10kgs before my wedding, or I want to move overseas by the end of the year) and work backwards. Set goals you can achieve weekly or monthly (for example, I will work out twice a week; I want to lose 1kg a month; I will save $100 a week; I will attend a foreign language class twice a month).

Layering up your goals like this makes them seem much more achievable and takes away the overwhelming-ness of it all, plus you get to celebrate little wins along the way! Which brings us to…

‍

Reward your efforts

Self-motivation shouldn’t be all pain and no gain. While it’s good to keep yourself accountable and nip those negative behaviours, be sure to acknowledge the positive ones too!

For every mini milestone you set, attach a little reward to it. If you’ve eaten nothing but brown rice and tuna all week for lunch, don’t feel bad about treating yourself to a burger on the weekend. It’s all about balance, and knowing you don’t have to sacrifice the things you enjoy to achieve the things you want.

There’s no one answer for how to motivate yourself – after all, we’re all driven by different desires – but practicing a little self-love and rewarding your efforts will go a long way in maintaining a positive, goal-kicking attitude.

‍

Keep your goal visible

Literally. If you’re serious about your resolution, whether it be New Year, mid-year or end-of-year, make it tangible.

Write it down and stick it on the fridge; set it as your phone or computer wallpaper; set a weekly calendar reminder for a personal progress report; or buddy up with someone and keep each other accountable.

Taking your goals public works a charm if you’re a bit of a people-pleaser and don’t like letting anyone down (and that includes yourself).

Motivation is what keeps us going when things get tough, and the best way to stay motivated through those tricky times is to keep your goals constantly visible and never lose sight of why you set them in the first place. And remember: the hardest part is starting.